


Like a Newborn

by WolfenM



Series: The Rebel and the Bodyguard [1]
Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Misunderstandings, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-26
Updated: 2012-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-19 15:28:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/574793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfenM/pseuds/WolfenM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tag exploring how Garrett and Kate might have fallen in love during <i>Breaking Dawn, Part 2</i>, and including Garrett's first animal-blood hunt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like a Newborn

**Author's Note:**

> If you intend to see the film _Breaking Dawn, Part 2_ and /or read the book _Breaking Dawn_ (much less any of the works before them), you should do so *before* reading this.
> 
> Garrett/Kate was my fave aspect of the film adaptation of Breaking Dawn, so I just had to delve a little deeper into that territory and have some fun!
> 
> This story follows the film's version of events over the book's, at least as far as the climax goes. Then again, it's been over a week since I've seen the film (which was my only time seeing it so far, as of this writing), so forgive me if I get some things wrong!
> 
> *EDIT* Here's a bit of [Karrett fanart](http://wolfenm.deviantart.com/art/Twilight-Kate-Garrett-340178397) I did, if you're interested. :)
> 
> DISCLAIMER: The lines "If we live through this, I'll follow you anywhere, woman," and "Now he tells me," quoted from _Twilight: Breaking Dawn_. Twilight, Garrett, Kate, Tanya, Irina, Esme, Renesmee, Jacob, Edward, Bella, Carmen, Eleazar, Benjamin, Tia, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle, the Cullens, the Denalis, and the Volturi © Stephenie Meyer/Summit Entertainment.

"How does a vampire know if he's in love?" Garrett wondered aloud as he and Esme stood by one of the Cullen's large windows, watching Kate, Edward, and Bella training outside. "I mean, when I was in love as a human, my heart would race, my palms would sweat, I'd start breathin' fast ...."

Esme smiled. She kept her eyes focused outside (which he appreciated, feeling more self-conscious than he could ever remember). "I think the very fact that you're asking me says that you already know the answer."

The lanky vampire began to pace. "But I just _met_ her -- I barely know her!" So why was it that he kept finding himself thinking of her smile, or the way she'd brought him to his knees with her literally electric touch? "It's like ... like she's blood and I'm a newborn!" He winced; that analogy didn't paint him too well.

"Sometimes it's like that," Esme replied, shrugging, still smiling, still averting her gaze. "But whether this is love or not, you're not going to know until you get to know _her_. And even if it turns out _not_ to be love, believe me when I say the Denalis are worth knowing. You might even call the effort an adventure," she added, smile transforming into a grin.

He grinned back, uncertainty hardening into resolve like a human into a vampire. "Challenge accepted!"

"Grandma! Grandma!" Renesmee called just then, dragging Rosalie into the room. "Come play with us! Pleeease!"

Esme finally faced Garrett, chagrinned now. "Sorry, do you mind if I...?"

"Not at all," Garrett assured her, chuckling and waving her off. They still didn't know how much time the child had left to her, so every moment needed to be treated as precious. "This old soldier has a scouting mission to be gettin' on with," he added to himself, setting his sights on Kate, who was now heading towards the house. But where to start?

His burgundy eyes locked with her dark gold ones, and suddenly he had an idea for a topic of conversation -- indeed, he had already talked some about the subject with _all_ of the Denali coven: their status as 'vegetarians'. 

In fact, perhaps it was time to do more than talk about it.

~ * * * ~

"You're sure you want to do this?" Kate was asking Garrett, in a whisper so low that their prey, a deer, couldn't hear them.

"No, but I've never let uncertainty stop me before," he replied cheerfully -- perhaps a little too so (and not just because the deer probably _could_ hear him). Thankfully, he had no heartbeat to betray his nervousness to Kate.

The nervousness had little to do with her question; he wasn't _scared_ of trying this new food-source, just wary. The nervousness was more about just being near her, afraid of screwing things up, of disappointing her or turning her off somehow. But then, that fear was part of the thrill of a challenge, so in a twisted way, he supposed, he welcomed it, as always.

"I can't really know how I feel about animal blood without a taste, right?" he said, as much to himself as her.

Never mind that Carlisle had already tried to talk Garrett into trying the no-humans diet and failed. But as much as Garrett had liked Carlisle, there hadn't been enough incentive for him to try it before. Having been a hunter as a human, and having a respect for predatory animals whose culling maintained the health of herd-beasts, he saw no shame in feeding on humans: everything needed to kill to live. But hunting humans _now_ would mean less time to be with Kate, as he had to go a ways away from the Olympic Coven's territory in order to feed without compromising their safety. Therefore, this feeding-on-animals scenario not only allowed him to feed without spending hours away, but gave him an excuse to hunt with her, get to know her better, just as Esme had suggested. And if he couldn't resist her pull, couldn't bear to be apart from her...?

Garrett had a feeling that there was a permanent change to his diet in his future. The present was as good a time as any to try it, right?

'Try' being the operative word.

The wind shifted, carrying the scent of humans -- and their blood. Someone was wounded -- albeit just slightly, but it was enough. Suddenly hyper aware of his thirst, he focused his attention towards the source, listening without even thinking about it, and heard the unmistakable lilt of an Englishman in the conversation the humans were having.

Garrett saw red.

"Whoa, there, cowboy," came Kate's dulcet tones in his ear as her hand slid around his wrist, staying him.

He barely noticed, but that he _did_ notice, despite the presence of his favourite prey and in light of his heightened thirst, said something about Kate. He'd gladly let her command him, as he'd never allowed any other being to do, if he _could_ , but thirst had commanded him infinitely longer, and it seemed he didn't have the strength to mutiny. Not when the blood called out to him, making his mouth water with venom ....

Even so, his next step didn't get him anywhere but on his knees, momentarily blinded by pain, skin tingling. When the tingling pain passed and vision returned, he found himself looking into Kate's dark amber eyes, mesmerised, Englishmen and thirst forgotten.

Well, for a moment anyway. Then wind assailed him with the scent of blood, and he was struggling to get to his feet, to find the source.

This time Kate stopped him with a different kind of shock, one far more pleasant: a kiss. His skin tingled again, in a wholly different way. Still on his knees, he fell back against the ground, pulling her down with him with hands tangled in her long, soft mane. A new kind of hunger had begun burning lowly within him since coming to Forks, a tinder that had long been cold inside him having been sparked by Kate into a smoulder; it roared fully to life now. She was fire herself, much welcome warmth against the early winter chill. Hands slipped under coats, seeking heat.

He almost whimpered when she suddenly pulled away -- then was glad he hadn't made a sound, once he discovered what had distracted her.

"Oh, sorry! We thought you were hunting, and were going to join you!" Renesmee whispered from the back of her every-present wolfy companion. The child was grinning, and Garrett could swear the wolf was too.

He also would have sworn Kate was blushing, if he didn't know that was physically impossible for their species.

"We're just gonna play on through, if you don't mind," Renesmee continued, just before Jacob sprang over them, doubtless in pursuit the deer Kate and Garret had been stalking. 

A full ten seconds passed before Garrett and Kate succumbed to their mirth, Garrett laying his head back against the ground and crowing to the sky while Kate snickered into his shirt.

Laughter was unhappily replaced by the remembrance of why Renesmee and Jacob had found them kissing instead of feasting on the deer themselves.

"I'm sorry," Garrett told Kate as he still stared into the sky. He wondered absently if her eyes had been as blue -- or bluer -- when she was still alive.

"Sorry for what?" she asked, resting her chin on his chest, looking puzzled when he met her gaze.

He put an arm under his head, to see her better. "For not better restrainin' myself when I caught a wiff of human blood."

She made a dismissive sound. "You've been at this what, a day? On top of not having fed for about a week? It took me _centuries_ to perfect my restraint -- and even now, the smell of human blood still makes me a little thirsty. I consider myself lucky that I was able to restrain you with a kiss -- that showed _restraint_ on your part, not a lack of it."

"Or it just shows what a wonderful kisser you are!" Well, no, it didn't, really -- she was far better than can-distract-a-vampire wonderful.

"Casanova," she teased, rolling off him and laying on her side. "If you want another kiss, you're going to have to earn it by helping me catch our lunch."

"Deal," he agreed, getting to his feet with his inhuman speed, then helping her to hers.

He sniffed the air, intended to catch the scent of another animal, then stopped, realizing he might scent the humans again. "I think maybe I better leave the scent-tracking to the expert," he told her. "Edward told me that Bella had calmed her bloodlust, after she was first turned, by holding her breath, so I'm gonna try that." Of course, it would make conversation that much harder, but if he couldn't rein in his thirst, he wouldn't be able to hunt with her anyway. Besides, he didn't need to be able to talk in order to _listen_ to her, right?

The plan worked, and soon they were feasting together on another deer. Certainly it wasn't nearly as tasty as a human, but it wasn't terrible.

"Predatory animals taste better, a bit closer to human," Kate revealed as she cleaned herself up. "I considered having you hunt such instead, but figured that you should start by experiencing the lesser taste, and knowing that there's better out there, rather than experiencing the best only to taste the worst later and feel cheated."

"Really? For the worst, it's not that bad!" he insisted.

She smirked. "Your face while you were feeding said otherwise."

He grimaced; he hadn't meant for any disappointment to show. He'd taken to heart what the Denali had told him not long after he'd arrived and had begun asking them about their lifestyle, listening with an ear he hadn't granted Carlisle ....

_"So why not use blood bags?" he'd asked. "They may not taste as good as fresh human blood, but it's better than animal."_

_"Well, for one, back when we started weaning ourselves, blood banks didn't exist," Tanya had pointed out wryly._

_"And even now, hunting an animal is much easier and _safer_ than taking from a blood bank," Kate had continued. "Hospitals do keep track of their inventory, after all. Even Carlyle, a doctor, could only get away with taking so much, making up false transfusion records or fake problems with bags."_

_"For another thing," Carmen had added, "there's never enough blood in the banks when a disaster occurs, so that would defeat the purpose of not wanting to kill humans if we did something that might facilitate more human deaths."_

_"And for still another reason, we find it's best to quit, as the humans say, 'cold turkey'. Drinking human blood again after one has changed is like a step backward; it just makes it all harder," Eleazar had finished, sounding like he'd had all too much experience with the problem._

And since the Denali coven stayed in one place for long periods of time, they had to keep from killing humans in order to avoid attention -- just as the Cullens had requested the witnesses do while staying with them. If there was any chance Garrett would want to stay with Kate, then he would have to prove that he, too, could adjust to the vegetarian lifestyle.

Garret shrugged nonchalantly at Kate's observation now. "I didn't exactly love hardtack when I was in the army, either, but yah learn ta make do -- I eat ta live, not live ta eat. There are always more important things in life than comfort, especially with something as trivial as food. So what about you?" he added.

"Hmm?"

"Well, I mean ... I know some of _why_ you live this lifestyle, but you said yourself that you still feel the thirst for humans. So what did you do when you were first trying it to help keep you from slippin'?" he asked.

"Well, we _did_ slip a lot, at first. I guess what helped was the eye colour. Once we managed to get our eyes gold, we never _wanted_ to see the red again -- it was always a bitter disappointment when we did."

"You _literally_ wouldn't be able to look yourselves in the eye," Garrett mused, wondering how he himself would look with tawny eyes -- and wondering if his red eyes disgusted Kate at that moment.

Unaware of his thoughts, Kate nodded affirmation of his words. "And the idea of one of our sisters seeing us like that again was even worse! But still it happened now and then, and we had to be willing to forgive ourselves in order to move on. Eventually, we did stop having human blood altogether -- and then we were there for Carmen and Eleazar when they decided to abstain as well. We'd be happy to help anyone who wants to try."

Garrett ducked his head, smiling. "I reckon I'm still thirsty -- how's about you?"

"I could go for another," Kate agreed casually. "But I think I recall promising you a kiss first."

As she fulfilled her promise, Garrett forgot all about his thirst, as the flame of his new hunger for her grew.

~ * * * ~

Days passed with Garrett and Kate trading stories pretty much whenever the amazing woman wasn't helping Bella train. Through all that talk, something occurred to Garrett -- something he _couldn't_ talk to Kate about.

Which was why it was something of a relief when Tanya asked Kate to play cards with her and Carmen, the women yearning for a little sisterly bonding. Garrett said he was going to keep Esme company with a bit of chess while she waited for Carlisle and his sons to return from a hunt; it seemed like he was just resecting Kate's family time (and he was!), but he really did want to talk to the Cullen mother hen, and would rather no one wondered about what.

Even so, for a guy who enjoyed pushing his boundaries, he was having a hard time finding the nerve to broach this subject.

"Something on your mind?" Esme asked lowly.

Garrett grimaced. "How'd ya know?" he asked, equally quiet.

"You've moved your knight back and forth for the last six turns," she informed him, a bemused sparkle in her eye. "I take it 'Operation Woo Kate' is proving more challenging than you'd anticipated?"

"You might say that," he agreed. "It's just ... well, she's had a lot more experience than I have. A _lot_ more."

"That's a problem?" she asked, confused. "That she's had many lovers?"

"Well ... _yeah!_ I mean--"

There was a crash just then, the glass of one of the doors leading outside shattering. Garrett saw Kate on the other side, hurrying off into the woods.

Garrett had a sinking suspicion Kate had heard his and Esme's conversation. Replaying it in his head, he realised it didn't sound too good. "Excuse me," he told Esme, hurrying out after Kate.

"Kate, please wait up!" he called out as he stepped through the door frame.

She picked up speed; so did he.

"I wouldn't come near me now, if it were you," she warned him over her shoulder, electricity crackling over her.

"Kate, _listen_ ," he begged, grabbing her arm. He intended to keep hold of her regardless of the pain, but let go reflexively, cursing himself for it. "It's not what ya think!" he insisted, cradling his injured hand.

She spun around, and he was struck by how much she now resembled an angry lioness. He'd faced one before, on a safari; Kate was scarier. _Much_ scarier. And as terrifying as she was, it just made him all the more attracted to her.

"Oh really? Well, what I think is that you've been playing some sort of game, seeing if you can win me over, but suddenly you're having second thoughts because you're disgusted by my promiscuity! Never mind that it's more a matter of being long-lived than promiscuous, and it's not like I can catch any diseases!" she added, throwing her hands into the air and stalking off.

"I said that's not it!" he snapped, grabbing her hand, bracing himself against the pain -- pain that didn't come. He let his breath out slowly, both in relief and to calm himself. Kate stood still, didn't pull away, but she also wouldn't face him. He had a feeling she would be crying if she could -- he felt a bit like crying himself. "Esme was _teasing_ me. I'd asked her how ..." he sighed, embarrassed and miserable. "I'd asked how a vampire can tell when he's in love, and she told me the only way to know was to get to know you, adding that I might even call it an adventure." She turned her head a little, looking uncertain. "But this has all been about trying to understand feelings -- mine and yours. Any adventure has just been a bonus, not the intent," he added sheepishly.

Kate's mouth quirked into a smile, but it quickly fell again, her voice hard. "That doesn’t change that you have a problem with my having had many lovers!"

"The problem's not with _you_ , it's _me_ \--"

A nasty shock bit through his hand just before she pulled hers away. " _Seriously??_ You're giving me the 'It's not you, it's me' line??" she snarled. She held her hands up, fingers curled, electricity sparking between them, and reached for him. 

"I'm not trying ta break up with ya -- I was afraid _you_ were gonna break up with _me!_ "

Her fingers stopped about an inch from his face, her visage wary and confused. She slowly lowered her hand. "Explain," she ordered.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself as if he were facing an entire Redcoat regiment by himself. He supposed facing Kate was actually more dangerous.

"I was twenty when I joined the army. I was in love -- supposed to marry -- but all I'd ever done before leaving for war was kiss my girl. It was about six years after I joined that I was turned, but her letters had stopped comin' well before that. It was another year before I dared go home, and when I saw her again, I discovered that she'd married my brother, and they had a kid that looked to be about five. So she hadn't loved me enough to wait very long, and I assumed I wasn't _worth_ waitin' for. And that was fine -- I was a vampire, a nomad. The opportunity for trysts with other vampire were few and far between, and I didn't take advantage of any of those opportunities when I had 'em. I also wasn't interested in doing anything with humans that didn't involve feedin' on 'em. Fightin' and explorin' were enough for me -- until I met you."

Her face had softened during his story. "So you've never ... _been_ with anyone?" she asked.

He ducked his head, shaking it. "And I was afraid that if we ever ... well, that you'd find me to be a ..." He cleared his throat. "Disappointin' lover."

She choked off a laugh, and he looked up in surprise, finding her covering her mouth with her hand. He looked away, his pride stung as badly as if she'd shocked him with her power. Never mind all the battles he'd been in before and after his death; he couldn't recall ever wanting to retreat more than at that moment.

She took his chin in her hand, forcing him to look her in the eye. "You thought that I ...? Oh, sweetie, did you think all those lovers I've had were _experts?_ " She shook her head, smiling fondly. "Inexperience has its own seductive qualities, and I'm not exactly immune to them. Even so, judging by your kisses, I never would have guessed you inexperienced anyway -- you have a natural talent."

"Really?" Suddenly, the battle didn't seem hopeless -- quite the opposite, in fact ....

"Really ...." She released his chin and slid her hand along his cheek, cupping it. That other, very different, very pleasant sort of electricity went through him, stoking the fires of that other hunger in turn. Her lips came tantalisingly close, just out of reach, and when he tried to close the gap, she evaded him, chuckling into his neck, nuzzling him. Tingling warmth washed over him, making him shiver.

"Awwww! What a cheat!" came the high, clear voice of Renesmee. "You were supposed to kiss him!"

Garrett moaned in frustration, and heard the sound echoed in his ear.

"Get a room, you two," Jacob teased as he and the child walked by.

~ * * * ~

From that point on, as they waited for the first sticking snowfall, Garrett and Kate made a concerted effort to remain chaste, lest they get carried away; with so many vamps in one house, there really was no such thing as privacy. Garrett found that, as much as he enjoyed Kate's affections and looked forward to whatever she might teach him, he didn't mind keeping things a bit cool (although part of him wondered if that was because of some lingering performance anxiety), and Kate didn't seem to mind either. They had centuries worth of history to tell one another about, after all. And when they weren't talking, there was hunting, and training, and sometimes just sitting quietly, basking in each other's presence -- or seeing who could sit still the longest, or who was better at poker or chess. It was strange and wonderful to be competitive and yet not mind who wins, just encouraging one another to do better. And as comfortable as they got with one another, Kate never ceased to surprise or amaze him; he only hoped he kept her as entertained! (Judging by her frequent laughter, he reckoned he did, whether he meant to or not.)

By the time the Volturi arrived, Garrett still didn't know _how_ a vampire knew he was in love -- he just knew he _was_. Edward had told him one day that he believed that it had been his destiny to be a vampire so that he could live long enough to meet Bella. Garrett wondered now if his endless wandering, pulled by his never-ending curiosity, had been all about finding her, as he felt no more need to roam now, save to go wherever she might. He never wanted to be apart from her, if he could help it.

As they stood side-by-side on the battlefield, he said as much to Kate. "If we live through this, I'll follow you anywhere, woman."

"Now he tells me," she replied wryly.

He realised then that she'd already decided she wanted him to be her mate -- if he'd said something sooner, they could have had that much longer together as lifemates before ....

No. He wouldn't think that way. They would get through today and have eternity to enjoy their newly-cemented bond.

"I'm sorry about my eyes," he then blurted, unable to take the silence as they watched the Volturi approach.

She glanced at him, puzzled, then surprised. "Oh! You fed ...."

He shook his head. "Not exactly -- I mean, I did, but on a blood bag Carlisle offered everyone, as a last-minute boost to our strength." That was the biggest downside to animal blood: one could neverbe at one's strongest on the stuff. "I know this means I have to kind of start over with my diet, but--"

"You wanted to be at your best, in case things go their worst today. It's okay, I'm not worried. I have every confidence in your ability to go vegetarian -- if you _want_ to. Just know that it's not a deal-breaker -- even if you don't _want_ to be that way, I still want to be with you," she added, taking his hand.

"I _do_ want to, though," he assured her. "I'll do my best to make sure that bag was my, uh ... last taste of humanity." He grinned at her, and she returned it.

She nearly crushed his hand when, a short while later, her sister Irina came into view. She quickly let go, though, and stepped forward a few paces. He found he'd rather be in pain than lose contact with her, but respected her space all the same.

At least, he did until Irina was killed right before their eyes.

With a roar of rage that would outdo any lioness, Kate lunged forward. Garrett lunged too -- and grabbed her from behind. Perhaps it was selfish of him, but he just couldn't let Kate follow her sister into death. Never mind that she would take all the rest of them, including him, into death as well. He only knew that he must. Not. Lose her!

And so, when she used her power on him, his grip did not loosen, despite the seemingly unending depths of his agony. There was nothing he feared more -- not then, and not ever -- than the thought of her being gone from his life. If she died, then his own death, at the hands of the Volturi, would be welcome.

Fortunately, it did not come to that.

The pain subsided, although he wasn't sure if it was by Kate's choice or Bella's intervention. Either way, he didn't let go, didn't lessen his grip -- wouldn't have, even if Kate had surrendered. He needed the feel of her against him, the reassurance that she was safe, at least for the moment.

"Live to remember Irina, Katie, or she will be truly lost! And so will I," he added. "I mean, we _are_ mates, now, right? _Life_ mates, I mean?"

She turned enough to be able to look him in the eye and nodded, answering with a firm "Yes!", without hesitation. 

"Well, remember how I said that if we survived, I would follow you anywhere?" he asked. "If you _die_ , then I'll follow you into death! I don't want to be anywhere that you're not!"

Deflating, she relaxed her grip but didn't let go, only squeezed his wrists once, reassuringly. "I'm sorry. I just ...."

"I understand, Katie, don't worry. And I'm sorry about your sister -- I didn't even think about what might happen to her if we proved ...."

"Tanya and I _did_ ," she whispered, closing her eyes, "yet we still committed to helping the Cullens. It was the right thing to do -- what we _should_ have done the last time." She turned her attention to the scene before them. "There will be time to mourn Irina _after_ ...."

He nodded back and rest his chin atop her head. There would mourn after they knew whether they were going to survive the day themselves.

Thankfully, it wasn't much longer before they did. The Cullen coven members Alice and Jasper arrived with a hybrid man similar to Renesmee, shocking them all. Garrett wondered if Kate would mind taking a little trip down to the newcomer's home, so they might learn more about him and hybrids in general....

Someday, anyway. For now, as the Volturi departed, a relieved Garrett swung Kate around in joyous celebration.

And then he spotted the smoking remains of Irina and stopped, gently setting Kate down, mortified at himself.

"Oh, hell, Katie, I'm sorr--"

Kate silenced him with her lips for a long moment. "Never be sorry for being happy, Gar," she told him, smiling with sad eyes. "I can grieve my sister and still be glad that we got through this -- and for our new union," she added, taking his hand in hers.

The sound of sobbing reach their ears just then, and they both turned towards the sound. Tanya was on her knees, Carmen and Eleazar kneeling beside her, embracing her.

Kate started to move towards her sister, but stopped, looking to Garrett. "She needs me--"

"And it's not exactly a good time to make our happy announcement, or for some stranger to be hoverin' around her," he replied, nodding in understanding. "Besides, I think you need her as much as she needs you right now. I'll be easy enough for you to spot when the time is right," he promised, squeezing her hand.

She reciprocated the squeeze, eyes filled with gratitude. Hoping she could see every ounce of his devotion in his own eyes, he waited until she turned to Tanya before finally walking away himself, intent on giving them some privacy. One challenge of love, he was learning, was knowing when to hold on and when to let go.

He fell into conversation somewhat nearby with the ever-friendly Benjamin and Tia, but was surprised when, before long, Eleazar and Carmen joined them.

"We loved and will miss Irina, but Tanya and Kate were her siblings, not we," Eleazar explained. "They need time to mourn as sisters."

"Tanya will be glad to welcome you officially into the family soon enough, though," Carmen added with a kind smile.

Garrett blinked in surprise, then ducked his head and rubbed his neck, wincing. "Were we _that_ obvious?"

"You have been practically since you two met -- at least, to everyone else you have!" Carmen revealed. "Emmett and Edward had a bet going as to which of you would realise it first. So who won?"

"Whichever of them bet on Katie, I think," Garrett grumbled, rueful and a little irritated with the pair of Cullen brothers. He looked Edward's way and caught the man grinning at him. Garrett flipped the man the bird, which made Edward laugh outright. Garrett chuckled himself. "Well, I'm glad we're all still alive to laugh about it, I guess," he mused.

"Hear, hear!" Benjamin agreed.

"Smile while you still can, my friends -- I've no doubt that Alice and Rosalie Cullen will want to help plan the wedding," Tia teased.

A wedding .... Garrett found the thought surprisingly appealing. "If that's what'll make Kate happy, I'm happy," he decided. "And if she doesn't want a wedddin', that's fine too." In a sense, they were _already_ married, at least as far as the vampire lifestyle was concerned; a wedding would just be a way to formally celebrate it with their loved ones.

"Spoken like an already-married man! You'll do well, my friend," Eleazar said, chuckling and patting Garret's shoulder.

As they'd been chatting, some of the other vampires had been saying their farewells to the Cullens and to each other. They now started saying their goodbyes to Garrett and those standing with him. Tanya and Kate apparently had recovered enough to rejoin their coven, at least to say goodbye to friends and allies old and new

Before Tanya said anything to anyone else, though, she hugged Garrett. "I'm glad Kate has you now, to bring her some measure of happiness."

"Hey, you've got me now too, sis," he replied, gratified when a small laugh escaped from her -- and when Kate gave him a warm smile.

~ * * * ~

Not that Kate and Tanya had stopped grieving for Irina -- nor Carmen and Eleazar, for that matter -- but Kate never strayed far from Garrett. Tanya often stuck close as well, when she wasn't with the other Denali pair, seeming as unwilling to coax Kate away from her mate for her own comfort as Kate was unwilling to push Tanya away -- not that Garret would ever want her to do so. He could see how close the sisters were and would never want them to feel as though they had to alter their dynamic for his sake. Thankfully, Tanya seemed happy to have Garrett around, not jealous (if she was, she hid it well), and Garrett felt the same towards her.

It seemed to help the sisters to have someone new to share stories of Irina with. Garrett wasn't much of an expert on these things, but he'd heard that humans found reciting memories to be cathartic. For himself, while he wished the sharing didn't stem from such a loss for his mate and sister-in-law, he enjoyed learning more about his beloved. He also came to feel the loss himself to some degree, perhaps just for Kate's sake, or perhaps because Irina, in spite of her flaws, sounded like someone he would have liked to have counted as family.

There would be plenty of chances for him and Kate to be _alone_ , he was sure, as eternity stretched out before them, _after_ the wounds of their hearts had healed. Meanwhile, he did try to give the girls space now and then, when they were focused enough on each other not to notice him step back; those times, Carmen and Eleazar, or some of the Cullens, were quick to keep him company. He wondered if he had ever felt this welcome when he was still human; he couldn't remember. 

The Denali clan stuck around Forks a little longer than the rest of the witnesses, long enough to hold a small wake with their cousins, the Cullens -- Garrett's cousins now too, he supposed. Despite Edward and Emmett's betting on his love-life, Garrett found he got along well with them, and the rest of their family -- and, well, he'd already been friends with Carlisle for a long time. But as he and the Denali vampires finally made their goodbyes and drove off, it was strange, after having lived such a typically solitary vampire life for so long, to be wondering when he might see the Cullens again -- and be looking forward to it. (It would probably be his and Kate's wedding, after all!)

It was just as strange, of course, to be going off into this new, coven-based lifestyle: intending to stay in one place for possibly years at a time, living in relatively constant contact with other vampires, including the mate now snuggling up beside him -- and to be looking forward to all that, as well.

Another adventure into the unknown.

~FINIS~

**Author's Note:**

> If you've enjoyed my writing, I invite you to explore my original fantasy storyverse, [Gaiankind](http://gaiankind.com)! You can even find Gaiankind stories for free [here](http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Gaiankind) on AO3!


End file.
